Though use of Bhutanese currency notes of Rs 1, 2 and 5 denominations had been confined in the Dooars region and a part of Coochbehar district previously, these notes are now being used in Siliguri market, which controls the trade and commerce of north Bengal, Sikkim and a part of Assam.

The general secretary of Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industries of North Bengal (FOCIN), Biswajit Das said though the issue had been raised with the administration several times, the situation has not changed so far.

Currency notes of all these three denominations are being used alongwith Indian currency notes for transaction, though the Indian rupee is dearer than Bhutanese in the international money market.

Stating that the practice was "illegal," the district magistrate of Darjeeling Navin Prakash said the ultimate solution to the problem wasto ensure sufficient supply of currency notes of higher denomination or coins in the region by the Reserve Bank of India.